Fan or blower housing



Oct. 30, 1934. c. P. HEGAN 1,978,459

FAN 0R. BLOWER HOUSING Filed May 51, 1932 INVENTOR. I "Chester 1? HeganBY Omeuw a. W

A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 30, 1934 FAN OR BLOWER HOUSING Chester P.HeganJLouisville, Ky., assignor to American Air Filter Company, Inc.,Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application May 31, 1932,Serial No. 614,493

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in fan or blower housings. Theinvention is directed to that class of housings wherein air is drawnthrough an axial opening and blown outwardly by a rotor against thewalls of the housing whence it is directed to the outlet opening.

Housings of the axial inlet type are usually provided with an axialopening large enough to permit the insertion or removal of the rotor.

19 Since such opening is too large to function properly as an inletopening it is customary to place over it a reducing member which isprovided with an inlet opening of proper size, this member being securedby bolts or other fastening devices. The present invention is directedto an improved form of reducing member and has for an object theprovision of a simply-formed, inexpensive member of this character whichdoes not require the use of fastening devices, which can be more easilyand quickly applied to or removed from the housing and which whenapplied will be firmly held. I

Another object is to arrange such member so that the axial center of itsair inlet opening can be easily and quickly adjusted along a fixed pathrelatively to the axial center of the rotor whereby the most accuratecenter alignment obtainable along this path can be secured at will.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the casing with the reducer memberremoved;

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the casing with the reducermember removed, the rotor being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a section along line 3-3 of Figure 2 with one reducer inplace and with another reducer, shown in dotted lines, to one side ofthe housing as a whole, and the rotor also being shown in dotted lines;and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the reducer.

In the embodiment illustrated the parts of the housing proper consist ofa pair of spaced cross walls or end members 1 forming the end plates ofthe housing, and a wrapper sheet 2 extending between and over the endplates 1 and forming 45 'the intermediate housing walls. These parts maybe of any suitable material but preferably are made from flat, flexiblematerial, such as sheet metal. The cross walls or end plates. 1 aremarginally shaped to conform to the desired 5 cross section of thehousing proper, such shape,

in the construction shown, consisting of a some what circular rotorportion with an extension leading therefrom and forming a side wall ofthe outlet passage. Either or both of the..end. plates are provided witha circular axial opening 3 which is offset from the center ,o,f,.thecircular or rotor portion of the end plates so as to be in axialalignment with the rotor B. This opening 3 is of a size slightly largerthan the outside diameter of the rotor R, so'as to permit the passing ofthe rotor therethrough. The marginal edges of the plate which define itsaxial opening 3 and its outer marginal edges, are bent laterally toprovide a seating flange 4 and a securing flange 5 respectively. Thewrapper sh et 2 fits over and is secured to the flanges 5. This sheetmay be secured to the flanges 5 in any suitable manner, but it ispreferably spot-welded thereto. To the end of rendering the spot-weldingareas freely accessible from the exterior of the housing, therebyenabling the spot-welding operation to be conducted with maximumfacility, the flanges 5 are made to extend laterally outward from thehousing proper.

As apreliminary operation to the securing of 7,5 the wrapper sheet 2 tothe flanges 5, the sheet may, if desired, be accurately shaped at theoutset so that it will conform accurately to the marginal outline of theplates 1 and thereby fit closely against the flange 5 throughout itsextent. Such procedure, however, is expensive because of the difficultyof securing such a fit with a flexible member, particularly where suchmember has its opposite ends free or unengaged. To avoid this expense itis proposed herein to utilize a sheet of sufiicient flexibility as willpermit its being progressively fitted to the flanges 5 during thewelding operation. Thus, if the intended use of the ultimate structurepermits, a straight or unbent sheet may be utilized of such flexibilityas will enable the welding attendant to wrap it progressively over theflanges 5 and to weld it progressively as it is being wrapped. For thesturdier constructions a heavier or thicker and less flexible sheet canbe utilized, such sheet being roughly preformed by suitable dies to theapproximate shape desired, and then placed over the flanges 5 afterwhich it is progressively fitted and welded thereto. These methods ofsecuring the wrapper sheet 2 to the flanges 5 is illustrated in ageneral way in Figure 2 wherein the unwelded portion of a straight sheet2 is indicated by the dotted lines 2-01 and of a preformed sheet 2 bythe dotted lines 2-b, the sheet as completely welded being shown insolid lines. By securing the wrapper sheet in this manner it is made tofit over the flanges 5 as accurately as could be accomplished under themost exact conditions, but at considerably less expense, due toreduction in time, labor and equipment.

' size is provided for each of the openings 3. In

accordance with my invention, this plate 6 is made to fit into the seatprovided by the flanges 4 and preferably to beheld frictionally orresiliently therein. To this end the reducer includes (see Fig. 3) aseat providing portion or band 8 which is shaped to conform to theopening 3 and dimensioned to fit resiliently within and against the seatprovided by the flange 4. The band 8 terminates on the one side in anoutwardly directed angular flange 9 and on the other side in an inwardlydirected flange 10, the inner marginal edge of which defines the opening7. When the reducer 6 is thrust in the opening 3, the flange 9 engagesthe end of the outwardly turned seating flange 4, and thus functions asa stop limiting the inward movement of the reducer. more the flange 9 ismade to project outwardly beyond the flange 4, so as toprovide an easymeans of gripping the reducer when its removal is desired. In order toprovide the seat-engaging portion 8 of the reducer with a high degree ofresilience, the inwardly directed flange 10 is made to curve reentrantlybetween the opening 7 and band 8.

While it is not necessary in constructions of this character that theopening 3 be aligned with the rotor, its position should be such thatthe opening '7 can be substantially aligned with the rotor.

purposes, impossible perfectly to obtain. Conse-- Further quently, inactual practice the center of the rotor will fall on one side or anotherof the center of the opening 3.

There is less variation between the centers of the openings 3 and 7 andthese openings can, therefore, be arranged substantially in any desiredspace relationship. Consequently, to meet the variations in the positionof the centers of opening 3 and the rotor, the opening 3 is madecircular and the center C of the opening 7 slightly offset from thecenter D of the opening 3 (see Figures 2 and 4). This permits thereducer 6 to be turned angularly with respect to the opening 3, wherebythe center of the reducer opening '7 can be made to fall at any pointalong the circular path passing through C and around D. Thus the centerof the opening 7 can be set at a point along the path C nearest to theactual center of the rotor, thereby enabling the securement of betteralignment between the centers of the inlet opening '7 and the rotor.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that this construction by virtueof the limited number of parts and the simplicity of their design andarrangement can be inexpensively manufactured and easily assembled andwelded in proper position. Furthermore the use of a spring pressedreducer enables the regular axial opening 3 to be reduced quickly, andby virtue of the fact that the reducer can be quickly removed, thisfeature provides easy and quick access to the interior of the casing.This latter feature is highly advantageous because when the motor ismounted in place it need not be disturbed when the rotor is to beremoved, inasmuch as the rotor can be very readily removed through theopposite opening.

Having described my invention I claim:

A blower housing of the class described having an axial opening throughwhich the rotor may be passed, a reducer member arranged to be removablyfitted in said opening in any of a number of angular positions, saidmember having an air inlet opening, the center of which is offset fromthe center of said axial opening.

CHESTER P. HEGAN.

